Our mission: a four-day autumn trek through Italy’s Monti Simbruini Regional Nature Park, aiming to catch the peak fall foliage. Kicking off with backpacks loaded, we hit trails cutting through forests with the most vibrant autumn colors – beech, maple, and oak putting on an incredible show. The park’s vast silence was profound, though climbs up Monte Autore and Campo Staffi offered sweeping views, breaking the hiking rhythm… at least, when we weren’t completely shrouded in fog!

Tackling this in late November meant facing some real challenges. With no resupply points between start and finish, we were truly off-grid, relying only on ourselves, our food, the stove, and the tent. Water sources were around, but we played it safe and carried extra. The cold hit hard, especially during the sub-zero nights that gave our sleeping bags and mats a serious test run. Honestly, just crawling out of the tent each morning felt like the first victory of the day. We knew the weather here could be unpredictable, so while we got lucky most of the time, we stayed prepared.

Despite the conditions, we walked lightly, respectfully aware we were guests in this wild space, keeping an eye out for the subtle tracks of forest wildlife. And the payoff? Mission accomplished. Those four intense days were an unforgettable immersion, rewarded by those truly stunning colors (even more vivid in memory than the fog allowed!) and an almost surreal peace. The Simbruini tested us, alright, but ultimately won us over. Definitely an experience for the books.